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You probably all know this already, but it was news to me! I just learned that you can make popcorn in the microwave - in a brown paper lunch bag! It's cheap (costs pennies per batch), nutritious (you can make it with no added oil and no artificial ingredients), super easy and no mess (just throw out the bag when you're done!).
I was in the mood for caramel corn and decided to have some fun today. I used my Microwave Caramel Corn recipe, adapted it a bit and gave it an seasonal twist with pumpkin pie spice and pecans. This Pumpkin Pie Caramel Corn is delicious and would be perfect for gift giving ................ if you can resist gobbling it up yourself, as it's quite addictive, don't ask me how I know...
So there you have it - popcorn in a lunch bag and a wonderfully simple recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spiced Caramel Corn!
- 14 cups popped popcorn I make mine in the microwave in a brown paper lunch bag, see recipe.
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
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In a large microwave safe bowl (mine is 7 quarts), combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup vanilla and salt. Place in microwave and heat on high for one minute. Stir to mix well and return to microwave, heat another 2 minutes, stirring after each minute, to dissolve all sugar. Add baking soda and stir well. Mixture will foam up a bit. Add pecans and stir to coat.
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Immediately add popcorn to bowl with the brown sugar mixture. Stir gently, trying to coat popcorn as much as possible with caramel. Don’t worry about getting every piece covered at this point. I stir from the bottom up, being careful not to break the popcorn pieces as I stir.
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Place bowl back in microwave and cover loosely. Cook for 1 minute on high. Remove from microwave and stir. Cook again for one minute, stir and repeat for one more minute. Turn popcorn mixture out onto waxed paper to cool.
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Popcorn is ready to enjoy at this point. However, if you’re not eating it right away, or you are planning to give it as a gift I recommend one more step. Preheat oven to 200˚F. Lift up parchment paper (with caramel corn on top) and place on a sheet pan. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. This will ensure that your popcorn stays nice and crisp.
- ½ cup good quality fresh popcorn kernels
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt I like to use popcorn salt as it's very fine and tends to combine better
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Combine popcorn, oil and salt in a small bowl and stir to coat well. Pour popcorn mixture into a brown paper lunch bag (I like to use the jumbo lunch bags). Fold the top down twice.
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Place bag in microwave with folded side down. Microwave on high for 2½-3 minutes or until popping slows down and there is a second or two between pops. Watch carefully at this point as it can burn quickly
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